Seas of Shifting Sand
by KaiBlueOtaku
Summary: In the desert of Hueco Mundo, ancient instinct awakens, and an age-old pursuit begins. Hallibel x Grimmjow, One-Shot, Canon Setting, AU Plot Divergence/Details (Part of a series, Backstory/Side-plot, see A/N's)


_DISCLAIMER: Bleach and all its characters are owned by the talented Tite Kubo. I own only my story, and am merely borrowing them to tell it. I receive no payment for my writing._

_A/N: This story is in the same timeline/slight AU of my other stories; it's sort of a prequel but it's meant to be read after the others. This is some backstory, filling in the shady past I've spun between Hallibel x Grimmjow. There was a lot of allusion to their 'history' together in the other stories, and so here it is._

_Some things to note; I've taken some liberties, but this is generally in the Canon setting. One thing to know, is that Hallibel is essentially in her Resurreccion form here at all times; I did this because, well, who wants to make out with her shark teeth, right? This is her regular form though (minus the blade), for the purposes of this story. Also, here, Grimmjow has ascended beyond his feline Adjuchas form, and is now in his most recognizable, humanoid Arrancar form. This doesn't too directly conflict the Canon material to my knowledge, and is only a slight deviation._

_The order of my other stories in this time-line, are as follows, if you want to read them in order (which I recommend):_

_Resolution (UlquiHime, Lemon posted on AFF)_

_Urahara's Arrancar Rehabilitation Center (UlquiHime, implied HalliGrimm & GinMatsumoto, no Lemon)_

_Pina Colada Espada (HalliGrimm, Lemon posted on AFF)_

_Seas of Shifting Sand (HalliGrimm, Lemon posted on AFF)_

_This story will end on a heavy note of Angst/Unresolved Sexual Tension, because of the fact that the resolution doesn't take place until a much later date, in one of my other stories. This is why I suggest you read the other stories, or you may be highly unsatisfied with this ending. This is also why it is intended to be read after Pina Colada Espada and the others, even though chronologically it comes before. The ending here is easier to cope with if you have a previous understanding of how it ends, ultimately._

_This is a **CUT VERSION** of this story; the double line of section breaks isn't a typo, it's a missing Lemon! The uncut, full Lemon version is cross-posted on Adult-FanFiction for you to check out if you're 18+, listed under the same pen-name and story title._

_Please enjoy. _

WWWWWWWWWW

Cold moonlight shone down, as always, on the pure white sand that spread out eternally, unbroken, in all directions from her feet. The light glistened, reflecting back up off the sand almost in a mirage of sorts, and she followed the shimmering patch that always managed to stay a few steps ahead of her. She wondered idly how long she had been walking for, tracking this scent that drew her with an overwhelming mystery which she could neither refuse nor deny.

The first time she had caught the scent on the wind, her heart had felt stopped in her chest. It had caused her to still and listen, ears searching for a source, straining to overcome the rush of blood that had pounded in her ears so deafeningly. A gnawing hunger that she had never known before began to ignite in her core, and she had been overcome with the urge to seek out the origin of the enticing aroma. The enigma of it was too compelling; she dared not disobey, for she felt assuredly that if she did not discover the truth of it, she would surely die. Or, worse; live her entire life until her dying breath, without having discovered the meaning and purpose she felt with unwavering certainty that would be offered alongside the explanation of the delectable odor.

It was tantalizing, unlike anything she had ever known before. Some days, she felt as though she were gaining on it; others, it seemed lost, and she was hopelessly sure it was gone. But she always carried on, pressing forward, and always she seemed to pick up the trail again eventually.

The wind shifted, and she lost the scent, but still, she pressed on. Some days there were tracks, and she could tell that what she followed was bipedal, which in itself was uncommon in this place. She knew the creature must have been very high in Reiatsu, likely near her own Vasto Lorde level, to be possessed of anything so humanoid in form.

Other times, the wind gusted strongly and blew over the tracks, obscuring the scent, but still, she pressed tirelessly on, knowing she must locate the source.

She never questioned what would happen when she finally found the creature; whether she would destroy it, or be destroyed her own self. She only knew with steadfast certainty that she had to find it. The draw of her instinct was all-consuming, her focus utterly singular. She was tireless in her pursuit, but her quarry was just as tireless in its meanderings. She did not know if her target was aware of her presence, but it certainly travelled at a leisurely, unhurried pace, always just out of sight, just over the horizon.

The direction of the wind shifted again, but suddenly she felt disoriented. Her mark, which should have been somewhere ahead of her, she was suddenly scenting from the opposite direction, the wind gusting at her back. Just as she was about to turn, she sensed a presence directly behind her, crept up with Sonido. She cursed herself for being so inattentive as to have let her prey come around behind and sneak up on her like this.

She stiffened as she felt a hot breath on her right cheek, and a low growl filled her ear. She narrowed her eyes, preparing for the worst.

"So… _This_ is the one who has been chasing me all this time…" She shivered a little at the melodious, taunting tone in the velvety voice. She moved to turn her head to look upon the one who had caught her so unawares, but a hand shot out and gripped her jaw firmly to immobilize her. _A hand, _she though wondrously. _A human hand… Like my own._

"Nah-ah-ah," the voice cajoled smoothly in a soft reprimand. She felt something against the back of her head, and heard a deep inhalation. "Mmm… You smell _good…_" She felt fingers fiddling with her thin braids, rolling them teasingly, tugging them gently aside as a hot, slick tongue was pressed against the nape of her neck.

She shuddered, the scent of her quarry-turned-captor flooding her senses. Her own hand flew up and grasped with warning at the wrist of the one toying with her hair. "Stop," she commanded in an angry, breathy whisper.

"Mmm, temper temper," the voice leered, and an arm snaked around her waist. "Why are you following me? Hmm? Let's start there." She was jerked roughly back against what she could feel was a warm, bare chest.

"Your scent," she growled curtly, irritated by the forced closeness.

"What about… My scent?" She caught a flash of brilliant color out of the corner of her eye for an instant as a soft cheek nuzzled against hers, and she felt her knees quiver as the intoxicating aroma washed over her again. She swallowed hard, feeling herself glazing over with an animalistic instinct, the beginnings of loss of all rationality and control.

"I don't know exactly." She struggled to form a coherent sentence through the haze that was numbing her conscious mind.

A hot breath in her ear caused her to shiver as teeth and chapped lips teased there, and a voice thick with threat whispered, "Stop."

She collapsed limply on the sand then, her assailant gone again in a flicker of Sonido, leaving her too disconcerted and swimming in inner turmoil to even consider pursuit. She lay sprawled on the sand, chest heaving strenuously under the onslaught of sensations she struggled to reign in. Her Reiatsu flared wildly, and she fought against the animal part of her brain as she sought to bring herself back under her own control.

Her soul felt as though she were standing on sand that was being slowly washed away beneath her feet. She could find no purchase as her rational mind was drowning in an ocean of pheromones and turgid emotions. Darkness swam before her eyes, filling her vision as it drew her into its depths, and she slipped finally into oblivion.

WWWWWWWWWW

She did not know how long she had been unconscious for, but when she woke at last, she felt changed. A renewed vigor coursed through her veins like a surging tide of determination to locate this Hollow again. She knew now what this was, this ceaseless drive and smoldering hunger. She pulled herself to her feet, and reached out her Reiatsu to sense for the one she knew was destined to be her mate.

She was shocked at the proximity she felt the other at; still just over the horizon, almost as if waiting for her for some reason, despite the clear command issued previously to break off her pursuit.

It had been her Dominance awakening in her, she knew now; her first seasonal heat, the previously dormant Alpha instinct that had been luring her toward her mate so powerfully and irresistibly. She could feel it clearly, without a doubt in her mind. She started off again in the direction of her mate, drawn now by the recognizable signature of that Reiatsu. Her senses had been sharpened by the awakening of her Alpha instinct, and she could feel her mate begin to move away from her, matching her pace, almost like a strange game of cat and mouse. She wondered why they had waited while she had been unconscious, instead of simply vanishing irrevocably into the everlasting night of Hueco Mundo. _Surely, they must feel it too?_

In a burst of Sonido, she pressed over the horizon to capture her objective, but again she felt disoriented when the direction of the scent shifted. _Damn, _she thought as she felt the familiar presence directly behind her, as before. An arm came around her waist and pulled her backwards to press against a warm chest, hand immobilizing her jaw just as the last time so she would not be allowed to view her captor. A nose buried in her silky, pale blonde locks and inhaled deeply. A pleased sigh came in her left ear, followed by whispered, teasing words.

"I thought I told you to stop."

"Then why did you wait?" she demanded, and felt the form behind her still in shocked preponderance of her words. She took the moment of shock as an opportunity, and whirled unexpectedly on her prey, knocking them to the ground, gripping wrists tightly in her hands, wrapping her legs firmly around another pair to immobilize her startled and unsuspecting victim, now lying pinned to the sand.

She was utterly breath taken by his eyes. So blue, a color she had never seen before today, closely matched in tone by his longish, spiky hair, and the thick Estigma below his lower eyelids. He turned his head to the left, displaying the broken remnants of his mask in the form of sharp, predatory teeth, still attached to a portion of jawbone, running along his right cheek. He leered lecherously at her, giving her a sly, sidelong look. "So, it's like _that, _huh?" She studied him in silence, ignoring his blatantly suggestive question.

He was human in appearance; almost completely so, which she fully appreciated the rarity of. She focused her mind on a thorough inspection, and tried valiantly not to allow the creeping scent invading her senses to cloud her mind again. She noted that his Hollow hole was in his stomach, situated not far above the location of her own Hollow hole. He wore a white hakama, and a jacket that was open down the front, which explained how she had felt warm flesh when he had pulled her back against him.

"See anything that you like?" he taunted with a leer as a wave of pheromones washed over her again and she sighed, eyelids fluttering half mast. He moved to pull his wrists away, but she snapped back to awareness, slamming them into the sand above his head, effectively pinning him. He made a face, first of shock, then of scorching indignation. "Well, make up your mind already!" he snapped. "If you're going to try to kill me, let's get to it. But if you had _other_ plans…" He pressed his hips up against her, and she could feel her face flushing as she realized the intimacy of their position. She gave him a cautious glare of warning, and slowly leaned down to nuzzle the soft slope of his neck, inhaling his luscious scent.

"Do you feel it too? Is that why you waited?" she murmured in his ear.

"You went unconscious for three days. I was…" He paused, and she was almost positive that he had been about to say _worried,_ but he filled the space awkwardly with, "…curious."

She sat up and looked deeply into his eyes. There was no hint of submission in him, somewhat to her disappointment. _But that only means he'll have to be tamed, _she thought with delight, licking her lips. "What's your name?" she asked him.

"Grimmjow. Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez. And you?"

"Tia Hallibel." She released his wrists and stood, looming over him, offering him a hand up.

He scoffed. "Please, like I need a help getting up." He crossed his arms behind his head and flashed her a lascivious grin. "Besides… The view from here is just fine," he leered, referencing her short skirt.

She brought her heel down on his stomach and stepped aside, leaving him rolling on the ground, clutching his midsection, howling with a combination of maniacal laughter and pain. "I prefer the path of non-violence, generally speaking, but you earned that one," she rebuked him as she crossed her arms pensively. _This is the most defiant Beta I've ever seen,_ she mused in annoyance. Then, shock registered on her face, and a shudder ran through her. _Oh my… He's not a Beta… He's an Omega!_ Her blood pounded in her ears, drowning out the sound of his voice, and her thoughts swirled turbulently. She felt gravity loosening its tethers on her, as if she were unsure anymore which direction was up. Her eyes became soft and distant in their focus, her breathing shallow and rapid. _What do I do? This complicates things greatly…_ She knew the value and rarity of an Omega, but never suspected she would end up with one herself.

Claiming him was going to be another business altogether. Omegas could be notoriously strong-willed and independent, and breaking one took great patience and persistence. The timing would have to be just right…

"Hellooo?" Fingers waving in front of her eyes snapped Hallibel back from her introspections. She gave Grimmjow an irritated look. "Geez, where did you go just then?" he asked. "I've been trying to get your attention for five minutes straight. I was asking if you wanted to travel together for a while."

Hallibel was startled by the offer, especially considering it came from an Omega. They were typically the 'loner' type, but it presented a welcome opportunity for her to get closer to her unwitting mate, and learn how to possibly begin the Claiming process with him. "Alright," she agreed with a genuine smile. "It's better company than following you over the horizon."

Grimmjow gave her a skewed grin. "You know I was just messing with you by leading you on then, right?" The look on her face made it clear to him she hadn't considered this. He chuckled. "Sorry. When I first realized someone was trailing me, I didn't know if you were a threat. But you seemed to be in no hurry, so I just kept leading you."

Hallibel shook her head, incredulously. "You're kind of a jerk, hmm?"

He cackled maniacally. "Yeah, maybe. But I'm easy on the eyes." He leered at her, and she looked away, blushing a little.

She was startled at how overtly sexual he seemed to be, but he clearly wasn't in heat, or he would have had the same instinctual response to her that she was having to him. _Perhaps he isn't matured yet?_ she wondered, falling into an easy, strolling pace beside him. His cavalier, debauched manner seemed to be more of a personality quirk, rather than actual mature Omega sexual attraction, she noted.

"So, have you ever met any other Vasto Lorde out here?" she inquired, trying to make some small talk.

He shook his head. "No. A few Adjuchas here and there, but as far as Vasto Lorde… You're the first."

She nodded in agreement with his statement, and wondered if perhaps it was this particular trait that drew her to him. In the massive, far-reaching deserts of Hueco Mundo, it was unlikely that two Vasto Lorde would randomly encounter one another. The power level required to create and sustain them dictated it be thus, though she also knew that it had been something pre-determined before their evolution. Not all common Hollows were possessed of the inherent quality that allowed them to evolve to such a high level.

"Do you have a Resurreccion?" she asked him.

"You show me yours, and I'll show you mine," Grimmjow said in a suggestive tone.

Hallibel rolled her eyes at him. "Wow… Are you always are such a pervert?"

He grinned and gave a snicker as the only reply to her question. She was at a loss of where to begin Claiming him. He obviously seemed interested physically, but she could tell that it wasn't the right time yet to Claim him. She wondered how long she would have to wait before he became receptive to her Dominance, and submitted to her. _Perhaps simply being around him more will trigger it,_ she considered.

They fell into a strangely comfortable silence as they walked, both at peace and soothed merely in the company of one another. When they grew weary, they stopped in the concave of a large rock, and Grimmjow yawned, stretching, then tucked himself into a little ball in the sand and closed his eyes. Hallibel couldn't help but stare at him for a few moments, and appreciate the sweetness and trust in his face in that moment. She lay down and sidled up behind him, wrapping her arm around his waist and drawing close to him.

Grimmjow's eyes shot open, and he glanced back over his shoulder in surprise. Hallibel only gave him a soft smile, and he seemed instantly at ease then, sighing and pressing back serenely into her form curled protectively around him. She nuzzled his neck lightly, delighting in the easy, untroubled closeness and utter contentment his company offered her. They slept there for some time, and she woke to him sitting a short distance away, shaking sand out of his jacket. She propped herself up on an elbow, and watched him until he glanced up at her, frozen, a strange look on his face and a strangled cry escaping from his throat. "Fuck…"

She sat up a bit more, glancing behind herself in concern. "What?" she asked him in worry.

He pulled himself back together, and chuckled almost sadly, shaking his head as he pulled his jacket back on. "It's nothing…"

She was on him in an instant, pressing him back into the sand, pinned down again, face inches from his. "What… is… it?" she demanded, her tone thick with threat.

His face reddened with embarrassment, and he squirmed uncomfortably, turning his head to avoid eye contact, but she would not have it. She craned her neck to force him to look her in the eye, and tightened her grip further on his wrists, growling a little and pressing him sharply into the ground, warning heavy in her presence. His breath quickened, and something flickered briefly in the icy depths of his eyes. She was shocked, and loosened her grip on one of his wrists unintentionally. He slid his hand out of her fingers, and brought it gently to her face, smoothing a stray wisp of silken hair back across her temple and behind her ear. She gasped, and leaned into his touch with a shiver, eyes lidded heavily, her own breath quickening to match his. "It's just…" His voice faltered, and she gazed into his azure eyes with her own fathomless, jade-colored ones, imploring him to finish the sentence.

"You're beautiful."

Her breath caught in her throat, and she sat up, releasing him in shock as she moved away, unable to look at him for a moment. He sat up, straightening his jacket, and she could feel him staring at the back of her head. She fought to calm herself as a swirling current of pure emotion and unrefined instinct washed around her, fanning the quietly smoldering coals in her gut into a bright glow of desire.

"I didn't realize how lonely I was out here," he whispered, "until I met you."

Something cracked inside of her then, and she turned back to him, a wildness having ignited in her eyes. "Don't say such things unless you mean them," she warned, her voice tremulous and raw. But the sincerity across his face was unmistakable. She moved back toward him, breath fluttering in her throat, and she brought her hand to rest on his cheek, her own darkly tanned flesh contrasting against his paler toned skin. She ran the pad of her thumb over his lips, and they parted to release a trembling puff of air. He had stilled, and watched her cautiously. She gazed deeply into his eyes, but did not detect any traces of the fleeting spark of submission she had spotted earlier. _No matter,_ she decided ultimately, and leaned close to him, resting her forehead against his, rubbing her nose alongside of his nose, inhaling his scent as she began to feel her rational mind cloud over again. His hesitant and wind-chapped mouth found hers, and she pressed back confidently against his tentative kiss, turning willfully from her thinking brain and delivering herself over fully, finally, into the arms of her instinct.

WWWWWWWWWW

WWWWWWWWWW

When Grimmjow awoke, he glanced over at Hallibel. He was sure that he had never seen anything so lovely as her, lying in sweet slumber beside him in the sand, wearing nothing but moonlight and sweat. He wondered how many times they had gone, or even how much time had passed- Days? Weeks?- but decided it didn't matter much.

He was happy; happier beside her than he'd ever known he could be, or than he'd ever dreamed of. She comforted him, and not just in a physical sense, although he was more than pleased with that aspect of things.

He had begun to notice a deep longing in her though, and it was troubling to him. Grimmjow could see her at times searching for something in his eyes, but though he never asked her what it was, she never seemed to find it.

She opened her eyes, washing those green and liquid pools over him, and smiled at him lazily, giving a yawn and a stretch. She nuzzled into his neck, inhaling his scent and licking again at the deep bite she had left on his shoulder. She laid her fingers on it and poured Kaido into the spot, glowing green with the influx of healing Reiatsu. She had not meant for it to be quite so deep; Marking him didn't have to be specifically traumatic, just enough that it would leave a scar, but this would do that and then some. Her mouth twisted up a little in displeasure as she realized that the spot would not take any more healing. It would remain a twisted mess of keloid tissue, probably because of all the Reiatsu she had poured into it the first time she had climaxed with him, and placed the Mark. She sighed a little in resignation, disappointed with such an unsightly scar being her fault, but at least the Mark was placed; there would be no mistaking it by another Alpha, that he was _her_ property. Even covered by his jacket, the Mark would always taint his Reiatsu, making him easily recognizable as 'taken.' It wouldn't prevent him from pursuing any amorous activities, should he choose to, because she was well aware that he was a libidinous individual, and until she returned to Claim him when the time was right, she knew that the chances of him remaining faithful to her were slim and none. It didn't bother her too much though, knowing that with her Mark on him, no one else would be able to Soul Bond to him, or lay Claim on his as their mate.

She sighed, trying to convince herself that it was better this way. She had no intention of telling him all this, and she thought that if he didn't know it instinctually already, then it would save him guilt and heartache to not know it at all. For him to sate his physical needs with another was a thought that pained her, but it was a necessary sacrifice. He was not ready to Claim, and she did not know how long it would take him to mature. The beginning half of their Soul Bond would let her know, she knew, if he finally went into his first heat, and was ready for her to come Claim him properly.

Until that time, she knew she would have to make herself scarce, and wait at a distance. The meager comfort she was able to draw from the weak and incomplete connection she had with him, was becoming more painful than anything, a constant reminder that she was unfulfilled with him. She could see he was happy with her, but she knew it was because he didn't know any better. Never having experienced his first seasonal heat, he could not comprehend the deeper connection that lay waiting for him on the other side of it. They were mismatched until such a time as that, and she knew there was no further satisfaction to be found here for her.

She leaned over and bestowed a final, bittersweet kiss upon him. When she pulled back, it was almost as if he could taste the farewell on her lips, and he made no efforts to conceal the confusion he wore in plain sight. Re-summoning the Reiatsu of her chest covering and tugging on her skirt, Hallibel stood up. A flicker of realization came over him then, closely chased by fathomless sorrow.

"I'll see you around," Hallibel told him lightly, and turned, not able to look him in the eye any longer as she walked away into the eternal night.

"Yeah…" His voice was so distant, she thought, much further seeming than her few steps would have accounted for. "Hey, it was fun while it lasted, right?" His futile attempt to make a joke garnered no response from her, and she continued her slow retreat. She never turned back, and he never saw the silent tears streaming down her face as she left him there, alone, under the cold moonlight.

But then again, she never saw his, either.

WWWWWWWWWW

_A/N: That's it, darlings. I'm sorry to leave it off like this, but that's how this went down, she just walked away. Don't "Follow," expecting a chapter update on this; no promises, because it was intended as a one-shot, though now that some time has passed since posting, I'm getting ideas about how to put a second chapter on this... If you want to know how things end up between them, you'll have to read Resolution (ideally anyway, but that one's technically optional for the remainder of the HalliGrimm story here), Urahara's Arrancar Rehabilitation Center, and Pina Colada Espada. This is only the beginning of their story… _

_ Remember, all of my stories that have Lemons cut out (recognizable by the double row of section breaks), are available for the "18 years and older" crowd over on Adult-FanFiction, under the same pen-name of KaiBlueOtaku, and the same story titles. "UARC" is the only one in the above list that was originally written with no Lemon._

_Thank you for reading. _If you could be so kind as to leave me a review in exhange for my efforts, I would greatly appreciate it. Kindhearted constructive criticism, in the spirit of helping me improve my writing, is always welcome. (Blatant flames are not, and will be used to stoke the fires of passion for my next Lemon!)


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